Trees or shrubs. Leaves undivided, without stipules, sometimes scale-like. Flowers regular. Perianth of 4 or 6 segments. Fertile stamens 4-14, perigynous. Anthers opening by 2-4 valves. Ovary superior, very rarely (Hypodaphnis) inferior, 1-celled. Ovule 1, pendulous, inverted. Style simple. Seed exalbuminous; embryo straight.—Genera 15, species 75. (Plate 51.)

1. Anthers 2-celled. [Subfamily LAUROIDEAE.] 2
Anthers 4-celled. [Subfamily PERSEOIDEAE.] 11
2. Anthers all turned inwards, 8-14, usually 12. Perianth 4-cleft. Flowers in umbels, dioecious or polygamous. Leafy shrubs or trees.—Species
2. North Africa. They yield timber, oil, perfumes, spices, and medicaments, and are also used as ornamental plants. “Laurel.” [Tribe
LAUREAE.] Laurus L.
Anthers partly (the outer) turned inwards, partly outwards, 4-12, usually
9. Flowers hermaphrodite or polygamous, usually panicled. 3
3. Stem thread-shaped, twining, parasitic. Leaves reduced to minute scales.
Perianth 6-cleft, the outer segments much smaller than the inner.
Fertile stamens 9.—Species 4. Southern and tropical Africa. Some are used medicinally. [Tribe CASSYTHEAE.] Cassytha L.
Stem shrub- or tree-like. Leaves perfectly developed. Perianth with 6, rarely 4, subequal segments. 4
4. Receptacle accrescent, cupuliform, enclosing the fruit. Perianth-segments
6. Fertile stamens 9, rarely 12. [Tribe CRYPTOCARYEAE.] 5
Receptacle scarcely or not accrescent, not enclosing the fruit. [Tribe
APOLLONIADEAE.] 6
5. Fruit incompletely 6-celled. Pericarp adnate to the receptacle, but free from the seed. Cotyledons 6-lobed. Leaves penninerved.—Species 8.
Madagascar. They yield timber, oil, condiments, and medicaments.
(Agathophyllum Juss.) Ravensara Sonn.
Fruit completely 1-celled. Pericarp easily separable from the receptacle, but adnate to the seed.—Species 10. Madagascar, South and East
Africa. Cryptocarya R. Br.
6. Perianth 4-parted. Fertile stamens 4. Shrubs. Leaves linear-lanceolate.—Species
2. Madagascar. Potameia Thouars
Perianth 6-parted or 6-cleft. Fertile stamens 6-9. 7
7. Fertile stamens 6, each with 2 glands. Flowers in racemes.—Species 1.
Madagascar. Berniera Baill.
Fertile stamens 9, rarely 6, all or the outer ones without glands. Flowers in panicles. 8
8. Staminodes within the fertile stamens none. Filaments oblong or obovate, the inner ones each with 2 oblong, wholly adnate glands.—Species 3.
Equatorial West Africa (Cameroons). They yield timber. Tylostemon Engl.
Staminodes within the fertile stamens present. Inner fertile stamens with 2 roundish glands at their base. 9
9. Perianth persistent. Leaves herbaceous.—Species 1. Canary Islands and Madeira. Yields timber. Apollonias Nees
Perianth deciduous. Leaves leathery.—Species 20. Tropics. Some species yield timber or edible seeds. (Afrodaphne Stapf, Hufelandia
Nees, Nesodaphne Hook., under Tylostemon Engl.) Beilschmiedia Nees
10. (1.) Anthers 9-14 (usually 12), all turned inwards. Flowers dioecious, in umbels.—Species 2. Naturalized in the Mascarenes and Seychelles.
They yield timber, a fat, and medicaments. (Tetranthera Jaqu.) [Tribe
LITSEEAE.] Litsea Lam.
Anthers 9, the outer turned inwards, the inner outwards. Flowers hermaphrodite or polygamous, usually in panicles. [Tribe CINNAMOMEAE.] 11
11. Staminodes very small and awl-shaped or wanting. Receptacle accrescent.
Flowers usually polygamous. 12
Staminodes well developed, thickened at the apex. Receptacle scarcely or not accrescent. Flowers usually hermaphrodite. 13
12. Anther-valves side by side. Ovary inferior.—Species 1. West Africa
(Cameroons). (Under Ocotea Aubl.) Hypodaphnis Stapf
Anther-valves in superposed pairs. Ovary superior.—Species 15. Tropical and South Africa, Canary Islands, Azores. They yield timber, fat, condiments, and medicaments. (Including Mespilodaphne and Oreodaphne
Nees). (Plate 51.) Ocotea Aubl.
13. Leaves trinerved. Perianth-segments falling singly after the time of flowering.—Species 2 (C. zeylanicum Breyn, cinnamon, and C. camphora
Nees & Eberm., camphor). Cultivated in the tropics. They yield timber, spices, and drugs for industrial and medicinal uses. Cinnamomum Blume
Leaves penninerved. Perianth persisting or falling off as a whole. 14

LAURACEAE.

FLOW. PL. AFR.

Pl. 51.

J. Fleischmann del.

Ocotea bullata (Burch.) Benth.

A Flowering branch. B Male flower cut lengthwise. C Stamens. D Staminode. E Female flower cut lengthwise. F Group of fruits. G Young fruit cut lengthwise.